Oregon Historical County Records Guide

Jefferson County Records Inventory

Death Records

1886-1944

Series documents the recording of deaths in the county. Records
include registers and certificates. Information includes
registration number; place and date of death; name, sex, color,
birth date and place, age, and marital status of the deceased;
names and birthplaces of parents; primary and contributory cause
of death; physician, registrar, and informant signatures; filing
date; and date and place of burial. Death records were not required by the state of Oregon until
1903 when the state began to officially register deaths. County
death records have been inventoried through 1920. Access to
death records is restricted for 50 years following the date of
death by Oregon Administrative Rule 333-011-0096. Contact the Oregon State Archives for access to state death certificates
that are more than 50 years old. Contact the
Oregon Center for Health Statistics for access to
more recent death certificates.

Records at the Jefferson County Administration Building, Clerk's Record Room:Index for Births and Deaths [includes births from 1886 to
1944 and deaths from 1921-1944], 1886-1944 (1 binder);
Record of Births and Deaths [includes births from 1886 to 1943 and deaths
from 1916-1941-with index for deaths], 1886-1943 (1 volume);
Record of Deaths [includes only two pages], 1915-1916 (1
volume).